


Gasping for Air

by KASYD



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Buff Sokka, F/M, Female Zuko, Fluff, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Injured Zuko (Avatar), Love at First Sight, Medic Katara, Protective Azula (Avatar), Protective Katara, Stable Azula, Volleyball, lifeguard Sokka, traumatized zuko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:01:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28175085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KASYD/pseuds/KASYD
Summary: Fun fact about Zuko, she can’t swim.
Relationships: Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Kudos: 30





	Gasping for Air

In Zuko’s defense she didn’t plan on getting into the water. 

She was traveling with her beach volleyball team which included Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, and the other girls who Azula referred to as “extras”. So it was inevitable that she’d end up at the beach. 

What she didn’t expect was to humiliate herself in front of the most beautiful man she’d ever seen in her life. 

It started out like any normal game. 

Azula taunting the other team with threats, Ty Lee trying to keep up the team spirit, and Mai and Zuko giving each other bored looks. 

And as soon as the game began they were obviously in the lead, the team seemed like they were all over the place, like they were almost purposefully hitting the ball in obscure ways. 

“Zuzu, why are we playing these amateurs?” Azula had questioned at one point as the other team hit another ball in Zuko’s direction. 

“No clue.” Was Zuko’s plain response. 

She was about to go back into her head space to get out of such a boring game when the rival team changed their tactic, they were attacking directly and spiking the ball with new energy. 

“Now it finally gets interesting.” Mai sighed as she passed it to Ty Lee. 

It happened when Zuko was middle blocker. She was preparing to block the incoming spike when the ball was shot from an entirely different direction, and not as a spike. Where was it? She couldn’t see it. That could only mean it was coming from—. Zuko cried out as the volleyball hit her in the bad eye. The hit shot a spike of pain to all her sense and Zuko sank to the ground, clutching the burned side of her face. She gasped in pain and was filled with something she hadn’t felt in a long time, fear. 

She heard the voices of her team around her, Azula screaming at the other team, Mai’s gentle hand on her shoulder, Ty Lee trying to get her to show her eye, she was fine. 

It was just that with her eye riveted with pain and her head filled with panic she was thrown back to the night she’d gotten it, the agony of the burn, the infection, the messed up senses, the bandages, the weakness. Her burned eye could pick up virtually nothing, and somehow the other team had picked up on that and had used it against her. 

“I’m fine.” She hissed when she got control over herself, “It just scared me.” 

“That doesn’t make it any better!” Azula barked in finality before turning back to the ref who she was threatening to get fired. 

Zuko kind of phased out after that but soon she was being pulled up by the biceps and lead away from the game. 

“Is it over?” She murmured. 

“Yeah the game’s over, we won by the way.” Ty Lee said on her left.

“We won for you Zuko, you’re welcome.” Mai monotones on her other side. 

“I’ll make sure that that man’s bloodline never steps foot near another volleyball game.” Azula growled from ahead of Zuko. 

“It’s fine Azula, it just shocked me.” She tried to reassured. 

“No Zuzu! It’s not ok that the other team purposely got you out of the game!” Azula protested loudly. 

Zuko almost laughed, “Why does it matter that they got me out of the game?! I shouldn’t have been weak enough to get hit anyway!”

Silence filled the air as everyone took in what was just yelled.

“Why don’t we have some fun you guys?” Ty Lee offered, “We deserve a break!” 

Zuko and Azula had a quick stare down before they both nodded and headed towards the concession stand. 

“Get us some Fire Flakes,” Azula requested as she grabbed Zuko’s arm, “I need to take Zuzu to get checked for a concussion.” 

Zuko tried to protest but the firm faces of her friends made her quiet down.

As the sisters walked towards the building marked with a Red Cross Azula turned to Zuko, “While I may be a superior player you are a important member of our team, of course I’m going to be angry if the other team hurts you on purpose.”

Zuko took in her sister’s words, “I shouldn’t have gotten hit at all, I got what I deserved.” 

Azula frowned, “They broke the rules Zuzu, they had no right to directly attack you like that.” 

“I’m a Sozin I shouldn’t have a weak spot! I shouldn’t be weak.” Zuko protested with a lump in her throat. 

“You can’t be weak and have survived the things you have Zuzu, you’re one of the strongest people I know.” Azula stated. 

Zuko didn’t agree but they arrived at the clinic and couldn’t say so. 

They peeked into the room but no one was in sight. 

“Hello?! I have a possibly concussed sister that needs medical attention!” Azula called out. 

“Coming!” Called a female voice from down the hall. 

A woman opened the door to their right and greeted them, “I’m Katara I can take a look at you, which one of you is the possibly concussed sister?” 

“Me.” Zuko sighed.

“Alright, let’s get you checked out.” Katara said as she lead the sisters to a cot. 

“Well at least this day can’t get any more embarrassing.” Zuko sighed as she laid out on the cot. 

Azula rolled her eyes, “You’re gonna to jinx it Zuzu.”

And boy was Azula right.


End file.
